Suction cup device for equipment to be applied onto submersed surfaces, such as hull plates and the like



March 1959 1 L. MANCINI 2,876,026

' SUCTION. CUP DEVICE FOR EQUIPMENT TO BE APPLIED v ONTO SUBMERSED SURFACES, sUc

. AS HULL PLATES AND THE LIKE' Filed Nov. 24, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

fl i Mancini INVENTOR. V

RAM-f March 3,1959 v MANCINI 2,876,026

' v, SUCTION'CUP DEVICE FOR EQUIPMENT TO BE APPLIED I ONTO SUBMERSED SURFACES, SUCH AS HULL PLATES AND THE LIKE Filed. Nov. 24, 1953 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

March 3, 1959 r V MANCINI 2,876,026

SUCTIQN CUP DEVICE FOR EQUIPMENT TO BE APPLIED ONTO SUBMERSED SURFACES, sucu- AS HULL PLATES AND THE LIKE 7 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 24, 1955 25 l 1 E J 22c 23 2 "1. is

United tates T EE SUCH The present invention relates to a suction cup apparatus or similar devices which are suitable for underwater use under conditions of considerable hydrostatic pressure.

The apparatus, which include annular members acting as suction producing pump cups, are well known, and suction means cooperate with said cups so as to cause a pressure reduction sufficient to ensure the adhesion of said suction cups against a surface whereon they are applied; more particularly, this suction cup application is useful for many operations performed under the surface of the sea. Apparatus of this kind may serve, for instance, when cutting holes in the plates of a hull, for any reason, and also, during the forming of orifices when effecting salvages of submarines and the like. Apparatus of this kind presently utilizes a series of deformable members acting as suction cups, which are interchangeable and have different special shapes so as to be suitable for different profiles of the various surfaces to which the apparatus is to be applied. In this way besides the complication of having to replace the deformable members or of having to use apparatus provided with differently shaped interchangeable deformable members,

often it is not possible to obtain a satisfactory ahesion to the surfaces and difficulties in the application of this kind of apparatus may occur. Additionally, the forming of the vacuum necessary for the operation of the suction cup, may be prevented.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus of this kind, through which a deformable member for forming a flexible lip of the suction cup is designed in such a way to be appropriately adapted to conform itself to different profiles or contours of the particular surface to which the suction cup is applied, while at the same time providing a suflicient lateral strength in order to withstand the lateral stress which may occur owning to the outer hydrostatic pressure and other stresses.

According to the invention, the suction cup comprises a rigid body, a flexible lip adapted to conform itself to the contour of a surface to which the suction cup is applied,

and a deformable wall connecting the lip to the body.

The deformable wall is reinforced against lateral movement but allows those movements of the lip which are required for the lip to conform itself to the contour of the surface to which the cup is attached by suction. Reinforcement is provided by a series of reinforcing members each independently movable in a direction atent normal to the surface engaged by the lip yet each opposing lateral movement of the deformable wall.

A suction cup in accordance with the invention is more particularly formed by two concentric annular walls, made of a sufliciently flexible resilient material, for example of rubber or the like, each or one at least of said walls, submitted to the lateral pressure, also includes a series of said stiffening or reinforcing elements, which are peipendicularly slidable with respect to the surface to which the suction cup is applied, but not in the lateral direction.

- is applied, whereby a According to one. embodiment, each stiffening element includes a helical spring or the like, partially housed in the rigid body of the apparatus, and a slidable pin or rod cooperating with said spring, which prevents or restricts its lateral displaceability. In this embodiment, the rods and springs are provided in sufficient number and are spaced sufiicient'ly closely together to withstand the lateral thrust accompanying the greatest hydrostatic pressure. likely to be encountered in. service. The springs, however, cannot be permitted to touch each other so as to interfere with the independent axial deformability of each individual spring.

According to another embodiment, particularly designed for suction cups which must withstand high hydrostatic pressures, that is; which are. required to. withstand high lateral thrusts. against the resilent member, lateral stiffening elements, are provided which are slidably mounted and guided on. the rigid body member of the suction cup; and which are generally prismatic cylindrical segments and placed side by side, and are combined with one or each deformable wall. These. adjacent elements may also be provided with sliding indentations which slidably link' each of said elements with the adjacent ones.

As an additional feature, the pump which produces the suction within the cup may be. arranged to provide one or more hydraulic jets which press the cup against the surface. to which it is applied. If the pump is driven by an hydraulic engine or motor, then the exhaust of the hydraulic engine may also be arranged to provide such a thrust. This enhances: the force: of adhesion of the suction cup and also serves to press its flexible lip, into positive engagement with the surface to which the cup positive seal is. obtained. Without such a positive seal, no suction or reduced pressure can be established and maintained within the cup.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view in elevation of a suction cup embodying the invention, the view being taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 illustrates a II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates an enlarged detail of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 illustrates a side view and a partial section of an assembly forming an annular suction cup according to another embodiment;

Fig. 5 illustrates a partial section along the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig.6 illustrate a developed fragmentary cylindrical section along the line VI-VI of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a single prismatic stiffening element, relative to the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 6;

Fig. 8 perspectively illustrates a modified form of prismatic stiffening element;

Fig. 9 illustrates a partially sectioned front view of a suction cup actuated according to a variation of the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5;

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate two enlarged sections along the lines X-X and XI-XI of Fig. 9 respectively.

According to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, a suit.- able tubular structure 1 which is designed to carry the working tools or the unit which is. required to be applied to a submerged surface, is connected by means of an annular member 2 to a rigid annular tubular member 3 for the suction cup. The latter is made up of, for ex ample, an outer annular wall 4 and of a concentric inner annular wall 5; these walls are deformable and are secured by means of flanges 4a-5a to said rigid body horizontal section along the line member 3; they are formed with appropriately extended from the engine into the surrounding water.

lips 4b- -5b, respectively, which constitutes the rim for the application to the surface. Series of outer and inner helical springs 6 and 7 are arranged along the surfaces of the two annular deformable walls 4 and 5 respectrvely; said series of springs are extended parallel to the generating lines of the cylindrical surfaces of the walls 4 and 5; said springs 6 and 7 are partially housed in cylindrical seats 8 and 9 respectively, formed in the rigid body member 3 and are also partially housed in recesses formed in said inner surfaces of the walls 4 and 5. Said springs 6 and 7 re-act between the bottoms of said seats 8 and 9 and the shoulders created by the lips .4b5b of said walls 4 and 5. The lips 4b-5b embed the heads 10a11a of the rods or pins 1011 respectively, which are extended in the inside of the springs 6 and 7. Each unit, formed by a spring 6 (or '7) and by a rod 10 (or 11) provided with a head 104: (or 114), constitutes a resilient lateral stiffening element, which, though it allows resilient flattening in the direction of the arrow 12, that is, perpendicularly to the wall, onto which the lips'4b--5b must adhere, prevent the displacement perpendicularly to the direction of the arrow 12, since the rods 10 (or 11) prevent any lateral movement of the corresponding springs 6 (or 7).

Therefore, while the walls 4-5 are susceptible of compressive deformations toward the body 3, owing to the deformable quality of the material, the action of the springs 6-7 with their associated rods 10 and 11 prevents any lateral displacement of said walls 45 when subjected to the action of the outer hydrostatic pressure and of the usual pressure in the cavity 13 of the structure 13 in relation to the reduced pressure which is formed in the annular chamber 14 in order to obtain the suction for attaching the suction cup to a particular surface.

The stress, necessary to make the lips 4b5b adhere to the surface, is very high and it is preferable to have thrust means so as to aid the adhesion and conformation of the deformable lips to the contour of said surface. As may best be seen in Fig. 2, in order to aid the adhesion, the same assembly which is provided for the formation of the reduced pressure in the annular chamber 14 is used to provide the thrust. It is to be noted that, for submarine operations, the pump used to obtain the reduced pressure is preferably driven by an hydraulic engine with a liquid exhaust stream which is ejected In Figs. 1 and 2, 15 denotes the body of the pump, 16 denotes the inlet duct of the hydraulic engine, 17 denotes the exhaust duct of the hydraulic engine and 18 denotes the exhaust duct or pipe of the pump, which determines the reduced pressure in the chamber 14 through an appropriate passage, not shown; the outlet orifices of the two exhaust ducts or pipes 1718 are arranged in such a way that by reaction, a thrust is created and said thrust aids the adhesion of the suction cup assembly onto the surface, that is, provides a thrust of reaction in the direction opposite that shown by the arrow 12.

According to the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 7, 21 denotes the rigid body member designed to carry the annular elements or the deformable Walls of the suction cup. Of said deformable walls 22 denotes the outer one and 23 the inner one; the outer wall 22 has a lip or rim 22a outwardly directed, and the inner wall 23 has an inwardly directed lip or rim 23a, both lips or rims 22a and 23a are flexible and are designed to adhere against the surface to which the suction cup is to be applied against.

The outer wall 22 has a V-shaped section defined by with two upwardly divergent flaps 22b and 22c which are extended towards the body member 21 in order to be secured to the body member 21 by an inner clamping ring 24 and an outer clamping ring 25; the inner wall 23 has also twoupwardly divergent flaps 23b and 23c which are secured to the body member 21 by the inner and outer rings 24 and 26 respectively. p a The wall 22 with its two flaps 22b and 22c fits over an annular tapered lug or boss 21a of the body member 21. in which an annular groove or channel 27 is formed; the inner wall 23 with its two flaps 23b and 230 fits over a second tapered lug 21b of the body member 21, in which a second annular channel 28 is formed. Several lateral stiffening elements 29 are slidably disposed in the two annular channels 2728; said elements are arranged circularly in a series in which the individual elements slidably engage each other. Each element or reinforcing member 29 is formed as a cylindrical segment with inner and outer faces which are curved to fit slidably between the walls of the circular groove'27 or 28 in which the element is disposed. The other sides, which engage the adjacent elements at either side, are of tongue and groove configuration with a tongue portion 29a which fits slidably into a complementary groove 29b of the adjacent reinforcing member 29. This arrangement permits each reinforcing member or element 29 toslide freely in a longitudinal direction independently of either of the two adjacent reinforcing members 29 with which it is in lateral engagement. The tongue and groove arrangement, however, prevents relative displacements between adjacent reinforcing members 29 in a direction which is radial with respect to the circle in which the series of elements 29 is arranged.

The lower end of each reinforcing member 29 is connected to the deformable wall 22 or 23 with which it is associated by means of a screw 30 threaded into an insert 31. The insert 31 may be secured in the deformable wall 22 or 23 by vulcanization along with the resilient deformable material of which the wall is formed. In this manner, each reinforcing member or element 29 is longitudinally movable to permit the flexible lips 22a and 23a to conform themselves to the contour of a surface to which the suction cup is applied. This movement is permitted by the deformable watertight portion of the wall 22 or 23 which connects the flexible lip 22a or 23a, respectively, With the rigid body member 21. However, the radially directed forces produced by hydrostatic pressure and which tend to collapse the walls 22 and 23 toward each other are resisted by the two concentric series of reinforcing elements 29.

The elements 29 are preferably hollow, both to allow the introduction of the screw 30 and to lighten the unit, and further to limit the rate of compression of the gas (more particularly air), which is trapped in the channel or grooves 27 and 28 since said cavities in the reinforcing elements 29 constitute the minimum residual volume, to which the gas contained in the channels 27 and 28 may be compressed, when, by deformation of the walls 22 and 23, the reinforcingelements 29 are forced all the way to the bottom of the channels.

As it is apparent from what has been above described, that the reinforcing elements 29 offer high resistance in the lateral direction in order to withstand the lateral hydrostatic pressures, even of a considerable value, and this owing to the fact that they are guided in their respective channels 27 and 28 and also because they are mutually connected by means of the sliding tongue and groove connections 29a and 29b; these reinforcing elements 29, however, can move freely individually in their sliding direction, in order to adapt the walls 22 and 23 respectively, to the contour of the surface on which the suction cup is to be applied, for example onto the wall 32 of Fig. 6, or whatever may be the shape of said surface and within certain limits of variation in contour.

The clamping of the two flaps 22b and 220 and 23b and 230, respectively, to the rigid body member 21 prevents the penetration of the water into the cavity, in which the elements 29 are located. Water is evacuated from the annular space between the concentric circular deformable walls 22 and 23 through a suitable passage (not shown) communicating with this space.

The individual reinforcing elements 29 may be guided in another way with respect to the body member 21; for

example, as shown in Fig, 8 they are guided by pins 33 projecting from the rigid body member 21' and being received in corresponding semi-circular grooves 32 of the reinforcing elements 29. The grooves 32 of adjacent elements 29 confront each other and each pin 33 is slidably received in the space defined by two confronting grooves 32.

In the variation of Figs. 9 to 11, similar members are defined bythe same reference numerals as in the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 7 and the modification of Fig. 8 described above.

As shown in Figs. 9 to 11, the rigid body member 21 is integrally formed and the suction cup which is likewise integrally formed is divided into a plurality of separate segments by radially extending deformable bridge portions. 35. As shown, the radial bridge portions 35 are four in number which are circumferentially spaced apart by 90 from one another. The deformable bridge portions 35 extend between the inner and outer lips 22a and 23a, respectively,thus dividing the annular space between the deformable walls 22 and 23 into a series of individual arcuate chambers. Accordingly, the central clamping ring 24 (Figs. 4 and 5) has been replaced inFig. 9 by four arcuate clamping plates 36.

Cooperating with each deformable bridge portion 35 there is a radially extending row of reinforcing elements 37 the individual elements being similar to the element 29 as shown in Fig. 8 except that the inner and outer faces are flat instead of curved. The reinforcing elements 37 are slidingly laterally interconnected by pins 33a. The pins 3.3a are similar to the. pins 33 of Fig. 8, described above, exceptv they have portions of different diameters and are free: to move longitudinally, as may be seen in Fig. 10,. The end ones of the radially extending reinforcing elements 37 slidingly engage certain cooperating ones of the reinforcing elements 29 disposed in the outer circular groove 27 (Fig. 9) and certain ones of the reinforcing elements 29 disposed in the inner circular groove 28, the linking elements disposed in the circular grooves 27 and 28 being modified to provide a third longitudinal semi-circular groove 32 for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 9.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications maybe made in the specific embodiments of the invention which are herein shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim 1s:

1. A suction cup device to be applied to submerged surfaces, such as hulls and the like, including: a rigid member, two deformable concentric annular spaced walls secured to said rigid member forming an annular chamber; a plurality of lateral stiffening elements arranged along at least one of said walls and guided on said rigid member in order to withstand lateral thrusts, said stiffening elements being movable in relation to said rigid member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface onto which the cup device is to be applied; and means to set up a vacuum. in the annular chamber defined, by said deformable annular walls capable of causing the adhesion of said suction cup.

2. A suction cup device to be applied to submerged surfaces, such: as bulls and the like including: a rigid member, two deformable concentric annular spaced walls, secured to said rigid member forming an annular chamher, a plurality of lateral stiffening elements arranged along at least one of said walls, and guided on said rigid member'in order to withstand lateralthrusts, said stiffening elements being movable in relation to said rigid member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface onto which the cup device is to be applied, and means to set up a vacuum in the annular chamber defined by said deformable annular. walls, said: rigid member having {ij 7 seats, the single lateral slidabie stiffening elements each being connected to its respective resiliently deformable wall forming the suction cup and movable with said deformable wall into the position in which the same wall is deformed, while said stiffening elements are being pushed into the seats formed in the rigid member when the wall is deformed so as to conform to the surface to which the cup device has to adhere, said stiffening elements being slidable and being substantially prismatic in shape and being disposed adjacent one another.

3. A suction cup device according to claim 2 wherein the rigid member has an annular cavity and the adjacent stiffening elements are guided in said cavity.

4; A suction cup device according to claim 2 including sliding connections on the adjacent stiffening elements, said sliding connections slidably linking each of said elements with its next adjacent element.

5. A suction cup device according to claim 2, including small blocks embedded in the deformable wall, said stiffening elements being secured to said blocks.

6. A suction cup device to be applied to submerged. surfaces such as bulls and the like, including: a rigid member, two deformable concentric annular spaced Walls secured to said rigid member, forming an annular chamber; a plurality of lateral stiffening elements arranged along at least one of said walls and guided on said rigid member in order to withstand lateral thrusts, said stiffening elements being movable in relation to said rigid member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface onto which the cup device is applied, and means to set up a vacuum in the annular chamber defined by said deformable annular walls capable of causing the adhesion of said suction cup, at least one of said deformable walls having a V-section forming two flaps with a cavity therebetween secured to said rigid member, the lateral stiffening elements being positioned in said cavity between the zones of application to the supporting surface of the two flaps of the deformable wall.

7'. A suction cup device to be applied to submerged surfaces, such as hulls and the like, including: a rigid member, two deformable concentric annular spaced walls secured to said rigid member forming an annular chamber, a plurality of lateral stiffening elements arranged along at least one of said walls and guided on said rigid member in order to withstand lateral thrusts, said stiffening elements being movable in relation to said rigid member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface onto which the cup device is to be applied, and means to setup a vacuum in the annular chamber defined by said deformable annular walls, said rigid member having seats, the single lateral slidable stiffening elements each being connected to its respective resiliently deformable wall forming the suction cup and movable with said deformable wall into the position in which the same wall is deformed, while said stiffening elements are being pushed into the seats formed in the rigid member when the Wall is deformed so as to conform to the surface to which the cup device has to adhere, the two concentric annular spaced walls being mutually connected by radial bridgelike connections, said connections being provided with stiffening elements arranged radially and being mutually connected to one another and to the corresponding stiffening elements of said'two annular Walls.

8'. A suction cup device to be applied to submerged surfaces, such as hulls and the like including in combination? a suction pump, an hydraulic engine, a rigid member, two deformable concentric annular spaced walls secured' to said rigid member forming an annular chamber, a plurality of lateral stiffening elements arranged along atleast one of said walls and guided on said rigid member in order to, withstand lateral thrusts, said stiffening elements; moving in relation to said rigid member in a direcnon-substantially perpendicular to the surface onto which the cup device is to be applied, and means to set up a vacuum in the annular chamber defined by said deformable annular walls capable of causing the adhesion of said suction cup, and fluid jets designed to create thrusts of reaction in such a way as to offset the strains on the deformable walls and on the adhesion, of said walls, said jets being made up of the exhausts from the pump for the formation of the reduced pressure and from the hydraulic engine.

9. A suction cup device of the class described, comprising a rigid circular body member, a series of elongated rigid reinforcing members longitudinally slidably mounted on said body member and arranged in a circle concentric with said body member, each reinforcing member having one of its end portions in engagement with said body member and its other end portion arranged for displacement toward and away from said body member independently of adjacent reinforcing members, adjacent ones of reinforcing members engaging each other laterally for relative sliding movement therebetween, and a deformable Wall of watertight material connected to said body member and partially surrounding each of said reinforcing members, said wall of watertight material terminating in a flexible lip adapted to conform to the contour of a surface to which said cup is applied, said lip extending over said other end portions of said reinforcing members, lateral deformation of said wall of watertight material being prevented by said engagement between said body member and said reinforcing members and deformation of said wall and said lip to conform to said contour being permitted by individual displacements of said other end portions of said reinforcing members.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein said reinforcing members have longitudinally extending grooves formed therein, said device further comprising means engaging said grooves for preventing relative displacements of adjacent ones of said members radially with respect to the circle in which said members are arranged.

11. A suction cup of the class described, comprising a rigid circular body having a continuous circular groove formed therein concentric with said body member, a series of elongated rigid reinforcing members arranged in a circle concentric with said body member, each reinforcing member having one of its end portions slidably disposed in said groove in engagement with said body member, said end portion in said groove having radially inwardly and radially outwardly directed faces which are curved to conform to the curvature of the walls of said groove for engagement therewith, the other end portion of each reinforcing member being arranged for displace ment toward and away from said body member independently of adjacent reinforcing members, and a deformable wall of watertight material connected to said body member and partially surrounding each of said reinforcing members, said wall of watertight material terminating in a flexible lip adapted to conform to the contour of a surface to which said cup is applied, said lip extending over said other end portions of said reinforcing members, lateral deformation of said wall of watertight material being prevented by said engagement between said body member and said reinforcing members and deformation of said wall and said lip to conform to said contour being permitted by individual displacements of said other end portions of said reinforcing members.

12. A suction cup device of the class described, comprising a rigid circular body member having a continuous circular groove formed therein, a series of elongated rigid reinforcing members arranged in a circle concentric with said body member, each reinforcing member having one of its end portions slidably disposed in said groove in engagement with said body member and its other end portion arranged for displacement toward and away from said body member independently of adjacent reinforcing members, each reinforcing member being provided with a tongue. formation and a complementary groove formation disposed at opposite sides thereof, said tongue formation of each reinforcing member being in sliding engagement with the groove formation of an adjacent reinforcing member, and a deformable wall of watertight material connected to said body member and partially surrounding each of said reinforcing members, said wall of watertight material terminating in a flexible lip adapted to conform to the contour of a surface to which said cup is applied, said lip extending over said other end portions of said reinforcing members, lateral deformation of said wall of watertight material being prevented by said engagement between said body member and said reinforcing members and deformation of said wall and said lip to conform to said contour being permitted by individual displacements of. said other end portions of said reinforcing members.

13. A suction cup device of the class described, comprising a rigid circular body member having a continuous circular groove formed therein, a series of elongated rigid reinforcing members arranged in -a circle concentric with said body member, each reinforcing member having one of its end portions slidably disposed in said groove in engagement with said body member and its other end portion arranged for displacement toward and away from said body member independently of adjacent reinforcing members, adjacent sides of adjacent reinforcing members of said series having confronting longitudinally extending grooves formed therein, a series of pins each disposed in the space defined by two confronting ones of said grooves for preventing relative displacements of adjacent ones of said reinforcing members radially with respect to the circle in which they are arranged, and a deformable wall of watertight material connected to said body member and partially surrounding each of said reinforcing members, said wall of watertight material terminating in a flexible lip adapted to conform to the contour of a surface to which said cup is applied, said lip extending over said other end portions of said reinforcing members, lateral deformation of said wall of watertight material being prevented by said engagement between said body member and said reinforcing members and deformation of said wall and said lip to conform to said contour being permitted by individual displacements of said other end portions of said reinforcing members.

14. A device according to claim 13, in which said pins project from said rigid body member.

15. A device according to claim 13, in which said pins are free to move longitudinally.

16. A device of the class described comprising a suction cup, pump means carried by said cup for producing a suction effect therein, said pump having an exhaust, and means directing said exhaust away from said cup for producing a jet creating a thrust pressing said cup against a surface to which said cup is to be applied.

17. A device according to claim 16, further comprising an hydraulic motor for driving said pump, said motor having an exhaust, and means directing said last-named exhaust away from said cup for producing a further thrust aiding said first-named thrust.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 156,542 Cox NOV. 3, 1874 805,294 Hohn Nov. 21, 1905 1,775,595 Lieske Sept. 21, 1943 2,337,250 Klassen Dec. 21, 1943 2,347,491 Lente Apr. 25, 1944 2,437,003 Ruegg Mar. 2, 1948 2,639,170 Schick et a1 May 19, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,162 Great Britain of 1865 11,964 Great Britain of 1 886 835,884 France Oct. 3, 1938 

